teaching souls through the written word

Root causes

Isaac McNally and I were discussing why some people refuse the evidence for faith and choose not to believe. He made the point that no matter how effectively we present the reasons for belief, nothing we might say will persuade those who have closed their ears to the truth. Why not?

While only God sees the deepest motives of the heart, and we cannot know in every case why someone refuses to believe, Scripture does reveal some root causes.

Jesus said, “Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear My word. You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father the devil” (John 8:43-44).

There are those who “loved darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil” (John 3:19-20).

Paul warned of those “who suppress the truth in unrighteousness” (Romans 1:18), “who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness” (2 Thessalonians 2:12), and who “will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths” (2 Timothy 4:3-4).

What it all comes down to

Some reject faith because they do not want to be accountable to anyone. They wish to do as they please, thinking that submitting to God means losing their freedom.

Yes, we must renounce our own sins if we wish to be saved—that’s repentance. But in reality, going God’s way is greatly to our advantage, while stubbornly remaining in unbelief leads to a destination where we do not wish to go (Matthew 7:13-14).

So it all comes down to this: Which do we love: our sins or the truth that can save our souls?